McGilvra Woods State Natural Area

McGilvra Woods is one of the richest southern mesic forests in southwestern Wisconsin and noted for its display of spring wildflowers. The forest is situated on a gentle to moderate northwest slope at the edge of the Baraboo Hills with a knob of exposed sandstone bedrock found near the southeast corner of the site. Sugar maple and basswood dominate the woods with black cherry, red oak, white ash, yellowbud hickory, bigtooth aspen, and white oak. The trees are medium-aged, but the site is intact and with protection could become an old mesic forest. The sparse shrub layer contains eastern prickly gooseberry, common elderberry, and alternate-leaved dogwood.

The groundlayer flora is rich in spring ephemerals and contains more than 110 species including the rare cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) along with uncommon plants such as leatherwood and putty root orchid. Showy species include spring-beauty, toothwort, woodland phlox, wild geranium, hepatica, May-apple, Virginia waterleaf, bellwort, nodding trillium, and several orchids.  This is a good birding spot in spring, too!

Please walk with great care on this property, as there are many rare and unusual species of plants and ground-nesting birds.

McGilvra Woods is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1986.